Security officials in Switzerland quietly intervened ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel in May 2025 after a young man threatened violence against Jews, reported SRF. The 25-year-old was preventively detained and later deported before the event, a case that has only now been made public.
Eurovision was meant to be a celebration of music. In practice, it passed off largely without incident. Behind the scenes, however, alarm bells had been ringing. According to reporting by Swiss public broadcasters, a man from Biel/Bienne with a criminal record told others that he intended to travel to Basel to provoke confrontations and attack Jewish people. Several independent sources confirmed the threats. Although no concrete plan was uncovered, the authorities feared a knife attack.
The man, identified by Swiss media, is a French national of North African origin. Security services consider him to have been radicalised by Islamist ideology. He also suffers from serious mental-health problems and requires medication. He had previously attracted police attention for aggressive behaviour in public, making threats, setting fire to a rubbish bin and expressing sympathy for Islamic State.
Forensic specialists describe this as a combustible mix. A forensic psychiatrist told SRF that psychosis alone raises the risk of violence; combined with ideological radicalisation, the danger rises sharply. Swiss authorities reached a similar conclusion. They detained the man for the duration of Eurovision and subsequently ordered his deportation on grounds of public safety. He was returned to France.
The decision has drawn criticism. An appeal against the deportation is pending. According to press reports, he depends on an extensive regimen of psychiatric drugs. Switzerland’s Federal Administrative Court instructed the authorities to ensure that appropriate treatment would continue after his removal. His lawyer says that did not happen. The man, he claims, was left to fend for himself in France. Deportation, he argues, risks further destabilising someone already deemed dangerous. Swiss police counter that he was formally handed over to the French authorities and supplied with medication for an initial period. The man is now free in France, though reportedly under medical supervision.
The episode illustrates a familiar dilemma for security services. The warning signs were troubling, yet fell short of clear preparation for an attack. Intervene too early and the state risks accusations of overreach; wait too long and the consequences can be catastrophic.
Antisemitism is rising in Switzerland. A recent report by the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities recorded eleven physical attacks against Jews in 2024—roughly half linked to tensions over the war in the Middle East. Until recently, there was one attack every few years. Now, Jewish leaders warn, antisemitism has spilled into the streets at levels comparable to those elsewhere in Europe.
Verbal abuse and public antisemitic remarks are even more widespread. Jewish organisations stress that criticism of Israel or expressions of solidarity with Palestinians remain legitimate political speech. The line is crossed when hostility turns against Jews.
Following a recent antisemitic attack in Sydney, anxiety has deepened among Swiss Jews. The government insists it is responding. Federal and cantonal authorities, says Switzerland’s justice minister, are doing all they can to prevent violence. Funding for the protection of minorities has been increased. Next year, 53 Jewish institutions will receive an additional one million Swiss francs to pay for security upgrades and guards.
Whether that will be enough is an open question.
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SRF article (in German)
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